100 key Noir Film list by British Film Institute
The British Film Institute defines film noir as a genre of crime drama that emerged in the 1940s and 1950s in Hollywood. Characterized by its dark, moody atmosphere and themes of moral ambiguity, crime and disillusionment, film noir often features the anti-heroic figures of detectives, criminals and ordinary people caught up in circumstances beyond their control. The visual style of film noir is often marked by chiaroscuro lighting, deep shadows and oblique camera angles, while the narratives are often fragmented and non-linear, emphasizing the sense of disorientation and moral uncertainty central to the genre.